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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24061048">Sad Eyes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jachaelas/pseuds/jachaelas'>jachaelas</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Manifest (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Heartbreak, Uncle-Niece Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:42:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,411</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24061048</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jachaelas/pseuds/jachaelas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He didn't wake up until the next day, and the realisation hit him all over again. Michaela was gone.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben Stone/Grace Stone, Michaela Stone &amp; Jared Vasquez, Michaela Stone/Jared Vasquez</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sad Eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Set after the plane disappeared, a little bit inspired by the song Sad Eyes (James Arthur)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had only been a week, but to Jared it felt like an eternity. One week without Michaela, not knowing if she was alright, and trying to hold on to even the tiniest bit of hope that she might be alive somewhere. He hadn't left their house all week, although many of Jared and Michaela's co-workers and friends had dropped off flowers and food for him. He spent most of his time on his phone, going through old photos of him and Mich, and occasionally glancing at the last message she'd ever sent him. It was the night before she was due to fly home, after they called for a while. </p>
<p>
  <em>I love you.</em>
</p>
<p>It had comforted him to know that the last words he'd ever read from her were so meaningful, but the fact that she would never get to tell him if she wanted to marry him or not was something that would haunt him in the years that followed. After saying yes to him, the deciding she needed more time to think about it, Jared had convinced himself that he'd made a huge mistake by proposing. Now, he blamed himself for Michaela going to Jamaica, and ultimately blamed himself for her disappearance. Jared grew up without a close family like Michaela, and eventually he felt like a part of hers. Now, that family had been torn to pieces, and Jared was back to being completely alone. Everyone reassured him that he had people around him that he could call or talk to, but the only person he wanted to talk to about any of this was Michaela. </p>
<p>It was 3 in the afternoon when he first got up, leaving Michaela's side of the bed to answer the door. Riojas, Michaela and Jared's captain was standing there with a dish of some sort, which Jared would likely leave in his fridge and not get around to eating. </p>
<p>'I just wanted to stop by, to see how you were.' He said, with the same sympathetic tone that everyone used nowadays. </p>
<p>'I miss her,' Jared shrugged, unsure of how he was supposed to reply even after being asked that exact question 50 times in the past week.</p>
<p>'There's no rush to coming back to work, take as long as you need.'</p>
<p>Jared hadn't even thought about going back to work. He'd been partners with Michaela since finishing the academy, and just the idea of having to work without her every day made him want to throw up. After Riojas left, Jared sat down on the sofa in silence, looking at all of the photos of him and Michaela that were framed all over the room. His eyes wandered to one in particular, from only a few days before the plane disappeared. He knew how much Michaela loved it, and got it framed while she was in Jamaica for when she came home. The two of them had gone on a walk together, for no specific reason, and ended up at one of the parks near their apartment. They sat in the sun together for a while, before Michaela grabbed her phone and started taking photos of the two of them. Jared put his arm around her, taking the phone as she leaned in closer to him. A few photos later, and Jared took the cap that Michaela was wearing and turned it around. Michaela's favorite photo was the one they had taken right after that, when they were both laughing. A lump formed in Jared's throat just thinking about what he would give to have a moment like that again. Jared's favorite photo was one from a couple of months before the family went to Jamaica, a night where Olive and Cal stayed at Jared and Michaela's house. The four of them decided to watch Toy Story, and when the movie was over Jared had let Olive take photos on his phone. It wasn't long before the four of them were taking selfies together, with Olive sitting on Jared's lap and Cal on Michaela's. They were all sugar-high at the time (Michaela had bought an unnecessary amount of candy for the movie), so the only photo that wasn't blurry was one of them all making silly faces. </p>
<p>Jared went back to bed not long after, the photos getting too much for him to be around. The deafening silence was worse, a constant reminder that Michaela wasn't there. He put on a movie instead, one of Michaela's favorites. He'd watched 50 First Dates with Michaela countless times, and always claimed that he didn't really like it. Now he could almost <em>hear</em> Michaela laughing, she found the same parts funny no matter how many times they'd seen it. He almost wanted to cry at the thought, but instead fell asleep properly for the first time in a week.</p>
<p>He didn't wake up until the next day, and the realisation hit him all over again. Michaela was <em>gone.</em> </p>
<p>
  <em>What would she want him to do?</em>
</p>
<p>That's when Jared got an idea. For the first time in eight days, he got dressed, showered, shaved, and left the house. He didn't realise that it was almost 6pm by the time he got in the car. He'd slept for nearly a whole day. Taking a detour first, he ended up at the door of the Stone family. </p>
<p>Or the half of the Stone family that was left. </p>
<p>He had to knock three or four times, but eventually the door opened a crack, to reveal a tear-stained Olive. </p>
<p>'Two seconds,' Olive said, her voice wavering a little. She shut the door again before Jared could get a chance to talk, as he heard sniffing and crying. When she opened the door again, she was still trying to dry away her tears, as Jared gave a weak smile at her efforts.</p>
<p>'Why are you here?' She asked, opening the door a little wider this time.</p>
<p>'I brought pizza,' Jared replied, holding up the box he'd picked up on his way to the house. Olive let him in, as Jared sat down on the sofa with her.</p>
<p>'Have you already eaten today?' He asked Olive, as she stared blankly at the pizza. She shook her head, before turning to him.</p>
<p>'Could I take some upstairs for my mom? She's in bed,' Olive replied, changing the subject.</p>
<p>Jared couldn't begin to imagine what Grace was going through. Him and Michaela didn't get a chance to have kids before she disappeared, but he wasn't sure what he'd do if he'd lost Michaela and one of their children. </p>
<p>'Of course,' Jared nodded, as the 10 year old ran upstairs with a couple of slices of pizza on a plate. She was back down less than a minute later, and sat down next to Jared again.</p>
<p>'Have you eaten today, Uncle Jared?' Olive asked, as Jared shook his head. The twins had always referred to Jared as their uncle, because he'd been with Michaela since before they were born so it made sense to them. He also referred to them as his niece and nephew, because they basically were at that point. </p>
<p>'No, I haven't. But I will if you will,' Jared responded, in an attempt to get Olive to eat. </p>
<p>'Alright.' She nodded, after contemplating for a few seconds. Jared really wasn't in the mood to eat, but he did it for Olive as they both ate a few slices. </p>
<p>'They'll be with us again one day,' Olive told Jared, which left him more than confused.</p>
<p>'What do you mean, Olive?'</p>
<p>'Mom said I'm wrong, but I <em>know</em> that they're alright. Even Auntie Mich.'</p>
<p>Jared didn't exactly know what Olive was trying to say, but the thought of Michaela being ok made him tear up. Olive noticed, and kneeled up so she could hug him.</p>
<p>'Promise you'll still come and visit me sometimes?' She asked, as Jared held her close.</p>
<p>'Only if I get to bring more pizza.'</p>
<p>When Jared went home later that night, he didn't feel like he was as useless as he was the day before. Because he still had a family to look after, the only family he'd ever really felt like a part of. When he got into bed, on Michaela's side, he picked up the photo on her bedside table. It was from the academy, when Jared and Michaela decided that one day they'd end up becoming detectives together. </p>
<p>
  <em>'I'm gonna make you proud, Michaela Beth Stone.'</em>
</p>
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